Legal Job Market Report – July 2025 from Ten Percent Legal Recruitment and Interim Lawyers Locum Legal Recruitment.
Here is our summary of the current state of the UK legal job market.
Locum Recruitment – Busy
Our locum department is extremely busy at present as it is the height of the season. Emma Ireland, our locum consultant, remains flat out at present handling a wide range of assignments. Busy areas are of course conveyancing and wills & probate, but at the moment we are seeing quite a mix of work – family, construction, corporate, property litigation roles have been posted in the last week or two. June to September is always the busiest time of year for locum recruitment and this year is no different.
Locum assignment updates here
Permanent Recruitment – Quiet
Permanent roles are generally still a bit muted. Candidate registration numbers are low compared with last year. Quite a bit of despondency amongst law firm owners we speak to about chances of success in recruitment and whether it is even worth bothering to try at present. See our article below on improving your chances of success.
Permanent vacancies can be viewed here: https://jobs.ten-percent.co.uk/tplegal/search/results
Law Firms for Sale – Busy
If you are considering retiring or selling a law firm now is a good time to start thinking about it because the market is often quite quiet from now until September. We usually see an increase in the number of new firms coming to the market in July & August – mainly because owners find themselves with a bit of thinking time about the future (its amazing what a week sat in a deckchair can do!).
Full details of firms currently for sale on our website
– list updated daily. For valuations, exit planning or a confidential discussion about a potential sale or acquisition generally please ring 01824 780937 or email jf@jonathanfagan.co.uk. You can also download our free detailed guides on Buying a Law Firm and Selling a Law Firm
Ten Percent Group statistics for June 2025 (2024 figures in brackets)
- New locum roles added – 24 (29)
- New permanent roles added – 23 (21)
- New candidates added – 60 (82)
KPMG & REC Report on Jobs UK – 14th July 2025
This is a monthly report prepared by KPMG following a questionnaire sent to over 400 UK recruitment consultancies, including ourselves.
- Supply of labour expands at steepest rate since November 2020
- Permanent placements drop at fastest pace in 22 months
- Pay growth weakens for perm and temp staff
Commentary from Jon Holt, CEO of KPMG UK
“Ongoing geopolitical turbulence and the threat of rising costs, alongside the promise of technology efficiencies, mean companies continue to wait and see with their hiring. But where there have been recent Government commitments, such as in housebuilding and infrastructure, we are seeing a small increase in permanent vacancies in related sectors – construction and engineering – which is encouraging. As we head into the second half of the year, global headwinds will continue to impact the overall economic outlook, but clear priorities set out in the Industrial and Trade Strategies and growth in the services sector should provide some of that confidence business leaders need to start planning future investments and to consider their hiring activities.”
Commentary from Neil Carberry REC CEO
“There is more volatility month by month in the jobs market right now, as employers assess a complex picture and hire when they need to, but not yet at the rate they might want to. Much of that hesitation stems from the scar tissue left by the Spring tax hikes and fear of further business tax rises. But underlying this, there are some signs of improving demand. Temporary vacancies, especially in the private sector, are resilient. And we are seeing more sectors adding vacancies in construction, logistics, engineering and healthcare. There is potential out there – if businesses are given a clear run at doing what they do best.”
